Insect: Difference between revisions

The oldest definitive insect fossil is the [[Devonian]] ''[[Rhyniognatha|Rhyniognatha hirsti'']], from the 396 million year old<ref>{{cite journal|author=Rice, C. M., Ashcroft, W. A., Batten, D. J., Boyce, A. J., Caulfield, J. B. D., Fallick, A. E., Hole, M. J., Jones, E., Pearson, M. J., Rogers, G., Saxton, J. M., Stuart, F. M., Trewin, N. H. & Turner, G.|year=1995|title=A Devonian auriferous hot spring system, Rhynie, Scotland|journal=Journal of the Geological Society, London|volume=152|pages=229–250|doi=10.1144/gsjgs.152.2.0229}}</ref> [[Rhynie chert]]. This species already possessed dicondylic mandibles, a feature associated with winged insects, suggesting that wings may already have evolved at this time. Thus, the first insects probably appeared earlier, in the [[Silurian]] period.<ref name="EngelGrim">{{cite journal|url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v427/n6975/full/nature02291.html|last=Engel|first=Michael S. |coauthors=David A. Grimaldi|year=2004|title=New light shed on the oldest insect|journal=Nature|volume=427|pages=627–630|doi=10.1038/nature02291}}</ref>